Index of Eight Core Industries (Base Year: 2011-12=100) for April, 2026

📌 Summary:

• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) rose 1.7% (provisional) in April 2026 over April 2025

• Sectors with positive growth: Cement (+9.4%), Steel (+6.2%) and Electricity (+4.1%)

• Sectors that declined: Coal (-8.7%), Fertilizers (-8.6%), Natural Gas (-4.3%), Crude Oil (-3.9%) and Refinery Products (-0.5%)

• The eight core industries are Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity

• The ICI accounts for 40.27% of the weight of items in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

• Final ICI growth for March 2026 was 1.2%; cumulative growth for FY 2025-26 (April-March) was 2.7%

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — industrial growth, manufacturing performance and key economic indicators; the ICI is a lead indicator of industrial and infrastructure activity.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• ICI base year: 2011-12 = 100

• The eight core industries form 40.27% of the IIP

• The ICI is released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry

• Petroleum Refinery Products has the highest weight (28.04%) among the eight; Fertilizers has the lowest (2.63%)

🔑 Key Term: Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) — a monthly index measuring the production performance of eight key infrastructure and industrial sectors that feed into the IIP.